Lazy Days of Summer

On days like today...hot ones when we have a heat advisory...it is best to stay in and just be lazy! I have done a little of being lazy and a little getting a few things done around the house. The lazy part was I finished reading another book. This book keeps me one book ahead...completed the first book for August. So far this year, I am ahead in my reading goal of 52 books a year = one book a week...but the last week, I did more stitching than reading. The last few days I have done more reading than stitching. My main plan is to read 4 books a month...and once in a while 5 in a month to give me the 4 beyond 48 books...and in the end I will have read at least 52 books by December 31. There have been years that I have more than doubled my goal...especially during the "Covid years." I also dealt with the tomatoes that I have grown this year...peeled them, getting ready to make a pasta recipe that is a favorite of mine. I will need to go to the store for a few items tomorrow so I can make that recipe plus get this week's sales items that I need. I ventured out long enough to check the mail and empty the compost bucket. You could pretty much cut the atmosphere with a knife! Pretty stifling! Supposedly the heat advisory ends shortly this evening...and hopefully we will see a break in our heat...time will tell! I went upstairs this afternoon to get the sewing table ready for my sewing project for Kathy...and ended up doing a little vacuuming and dusting, too. I am about ready to do the project...maybe this evening if I'm not too tired...but probably will wait till in the morning till I am fresher...less chance of error! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Try to stay cool!!!!Well, I had a photo posted...but something went wrong the link...now it won't let me access my photos...I'll try again later!

I Cooked and It Poured!

I spent part of the morning searching for a recipe. I needed to do some substituting because I don't have rosemary growing this year...this was part of what I rub the pork roast with that I was going to roast today. I was trying to find something that works with dried fennel...I ended up using dried sage. Worked well. I cooked thee roast and then made gravy. I froze the gravy to be used with the enchilada sauce I froze yesterday. I will be slicing the roast once it is good and cold and will freeze some of those slices. My freezer is pretty full at the moment...though I did remove this roast I cooked today...I filled that empty space pretty quickly! This afternoon around 4pm we had a downpour that lasted 10-15 minutes...came down hard with the sun shining most of the time. The photo with the cardinal light catcher shows the streaks of rain if you enlarge it. I went out to bring in my trash can and get the mail and found some branches down...one was really one of the trunks of my multi-trunk Dogwood tree. I moved it as much as I could and got it off plants. It will stay there till someone with more muscles than I comes over. That trunk/branch held a bird feeder and a birdhouse...both of those are now on my front porch. Continue to remember Joy's slow recovery...we are all waiting, perhaps not patiently enough, for that big improvement that she becomes Joy again! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Another Hot Day!

I just got inside from watering. i didn't get to water early this morning. I did water the tomato plants early afternoon to help them get through the hot afternoon. Then I watered the rest this evening. This has been an interesting day. I did get all my enchilada sauce into the freezer...enough for three recipes of enchiladas. I've done a lot of visiting on the phone today. Melany called when she was finishing up with her room at school and I talked through leaving and getting home! At some point I took a nap...probably after I had lunch and went out into the ot to do a little watering. Then I talked to my sister on her way home from my niece's house. While I was talking to Cheryl my moved-from-Tullahoma-to Alabama-sewing/stitching friend called and I returned her call. So a lot of phone chatting today. I also had lots of messages from a group message about our September trip. It looks like everyone in the group, at the moment at least, is planning on going. Happy to hear that! It will be fun...and hopefully this year...NO Hurricaane! Last year our trip was cut short by Hurricane Helene. I just checked with Kathy about any update on Joy... she thought that it was just a usual day...no worse...no better, but Esther just told her that when they were all outside doing chores that Joy had gotten out her guitar and played a little...Esther knew because she went back inside to get something. So picking up the guitar seems like a good thing. Joy loves music and so far at this point she hasn't wanted to play the piano or do much musical because it hurts her head...maybe a little quiet guitar music is what she needs! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Having problems getting the blog to post...had to copy and paste what I had written and it may be all jumbled! Technology! (eye roll!)

Monday Musings

It's been one of those days when I have gone from one thing to another...sometimes finishing one thing before I went to another...but sometimes not. I worked in the kitchen for a while doing some little jobs that I see when I am doing something else, but don't have time to do them when I see them...thus often forgetting about needing to do them. I did a little vacuuming, a little dust mopping, too. I decided that I wanted to go back to studying my camera...checking out some of the features that I don't use very often, if at all. Just working on trying to improve my photos. While I was doing that, Marie called about the annual trip that she and former First Baptist Church Tullahoma members go on. They are including me again this year. She gave me some details on when and where and later in the day she told me that she had set up plans with the hotel. She asked if I wanted to go on and attempt to book before she sent off the information to the rest...that way I could see if I was able to get the rate that she had been promised. I spent some time doing that...I got into a general reservation place first, not the actual hotel. Then next I got a number that just rang and rang. I finally asked Marie for the number she called and that time I got put on hold for long enough that I decided that it was time to hang up and call again. That time I finally got the reservations made. I'm not sure that I was the best person to be the one trying out getting the correct reservations!!!!! But I did get a confirmation email and all looked on the up and up! I talked to my sister a couple of times. We're talking about possible dates for her and Rachel to come to TN. Lots of travel arrangements in my day. Their trip can't be totally planned yet, as it awaits dates for possible cataract surgery for Cheryl. But talk of a trip here is happening. I have been to Monday night prayer room and am now home and ready to settle in for the evening. It has been another hot day. I went empty the compost bucket after I got home and it was still very warm a little after 7pm. About the only pleasant time of the day is early morning. I was told today that we are supposed to get cooler temperatures by the weekend. Time will tell! Joy watched some of Anne of Green Gables...about 45 minutes worth...and said that it made her head hurt more. Kathy has come up with some questions and is contacting Joy's neurologist via the Vanderbilt portal. I hope this doctor is as good as Woody's doctors at getting back with answers...the doctor or someone on her staff. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

A Tomato Saturday

I should proabably taken a picture of all the tomatoes on my counter before I messed with them today, but I didn't. I peeled and cut up most of the tomaatoes that Melany had brought me. I made one miscut whille cutting out the stem part of the tomato. I had just dipped the tomato in hot water, peeled the skin off and then was attempting to cut out the stem part...well, I was holding the tomato in my hand and my knife slipped and I managed to cut my thumb. I did this in the afternoon and since then I have had trouble doing tasks keeping my thumb out of the way. I ended up putting on a glove (leftover from Woody's dialysis supplies) so I could finish peeling and cutting up the tomatoes...seemed like it took forever! I ended up with two quarts of cut up tomatoes. I have put them in the refrigerator and will make the enchilada sauce when I am fresher...hopefully tomorrow after church. I have my thumb bandaged with a folded gauze square and tape...again from Woody's dialysis supplies. I wanted it padded at the start, but will change to a bandaid to make it less clumsy now that I'm not cooking cutting, washing dishes, etc. It is my left thumb, but it is surprising how much I want to use it! I managed to do the dishes without getting it wet. This morning I worked on setting up my serger to do a rolled hem. I have a tablecloth that Kathy has aksed me to change the length of it. I haven't changed the serger to do a rolled hem in I don't know how long. But I have been successful. I got the amount I am to cut off both ends of the tablecloth marked with pins. It is on the sewing cutting table awaiting the next steps to be done. Kathy needs this by the middle of August for a conference. She asked me months ago to do this...so I had best get going on it so she will have it in time. Joy was supposed to come sit over here while her family went someplace this afternoon. But in the end they decided that she would be okay to stay at home, since Graham would be in and out. Sounds like she slept through most of the time they were gone. But "perhaps" a good sign since they felt it was okay for her to be by herself for part of the time. Hopefully the sleep is helping her brain to heal! The other part of my tomato Saturday was that I had a BLT for supper...so good using homegrown tomatoes! I still have some tomatoes left that I have picked from my vines that are finishing ripening on my counter. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Tangled Web?

This may not be the best blog photo to post...you might not be able to see what it is unless you click on the photo to enlarge it. This spider web has been in the garden for some days now...it has survived rain and being sprayed with the hose, when I am watering. Definitely a tough web and sso far no more tangled than the spider weaver meant for it to be! I went to Kroger this morning. I didn't need much, but wanted to take advantage of a couple of their sale items. I like going on Fridays as shopping then adds 4X the gas points on to my months total. I came home and put away the groceries. Then I got some packages ready to mail...that's a funny story. Cheryl had sent something to my house from Amazon. Her husband didn't check about the address he sent an order he made...so I got three of his orders! They had finally all come so I mailed them back to him today. I had planned to make fresh tomato enchilada sauce and some marinara sauce with the tomatoes that Melany brought me, but in the end I decided that all my comings and goings today were enough extra activity for today. I, now, plan to make both of those tomorrow. My Joy update is that it is still a slow go. Nathan, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph have been at a camp in Texas is past week. They got home last night. Nathan and Isaac and Joseph came over today and mowed my lawn while I was at the grocery store. Everything is looking all neat and trim around here between them and Melany! When I talked to Nathan, I asked him if he saw an improvement in Joy, but he said that he really didn't...but he also said that he hadn't really seen her awake much since he had gotten home. I hope as he saw her later in the day that he saw some improvement. Yesterday, Kathy asked Joy if she thought she felt better than three weeks ago. Joy's answer was, "I think so." "Patience" continues to be the word of the day! I will end wishing our oldest grandson, Alex, a BIG Happy Birthday. He turned 28 today...oh, my how time has flown! He and Brooke and their dog, Mabel, are spending part of the weekend with Melany, Wade, and Erin. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Naked Ladies ”Dancing” in the Backyard!

Another name for the Naked Lady Lilies is "Surprise Lily"...they pop up overnight and bloom before there are any leaves. I learned the "Naked Lady" name for these lilies in one of the garden areas at Colonial Williamsburg. I took these photos after I watered this morning. We have had so much rain this spring and summer, but give us some hot temperatures, and, the ground dries out pretty quickly. After I watered this morning, I came in to rest and cool off and finished another ornament. This afternoon, I ran errands...Credit Union, Hobby Lobby, and my pharmacy. I was getting embroidery floss that I had run out of. I was getting some for the ornaments that I have planned to stitch next. I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this year's ornaments...still around 8 to stitch...but quite a few more stitched than I have left to stitch. i think the final count will be around 25 ornaments that I have stitched this year. Joy reached her three week mark from when she got her concussion. She continues to improve very slowly...but she definitely is better than she was three weeks ago.To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Too Hot Even For Squirrels!

Melany spied this little fellow all sprawled out on this limb...too hot to move! By the time I got back with my camera, he had moved to a place on the limb where he was taking advantage of the leaves to help cool him. It was 91° when this was taken. Melany didn't do a lot today...partly due to the heat, but it was what she planned to do...just some keep-up-with-the-weeds weeding. She used the weed eater till it ran out of power and used the hoe of some of the weeds out in the more open spaces. We had a very nice visit. We looked through a scrapbook of three of our family vacations over the years...a trip to Massachusetts when Melany was 7, a trip to Williamsburg when she was 11 and a trip to Yellowstone when she was 14...I think I have those ages right...I put the scrapbook away and I am too lazy to go check the years we went! My Joy update for the day is that when she is awake she is more awake...but Kathy has decided that her favorite thing to do is sleep! It still hurts her head to do very much. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Smelling Pretty Good Around Here!

I just took three loaves of Zucchini-Apple Bread out of the oven.I must admit that I will be heading out to the kitchen for a slice after I finish blogging! Blogging is making me wait till it is a bit cooler...if not blogging, I would probably already have had a piping hot piece. This is a recipe I haven't made before. But I had all the ingredients so decided that this recipe was "meant to be!" This morning I shredded the zucchini that Nathan had brought to me last week. I froze what was left after I got what I needed for this recipe. I froze them in portions for future zucchini bread. The other thing that I did today was freeze chicken broth. It was a busy morning in the kitchen and busy again this evening. Donna and I worked in the library this afternoon. We did maintenance and also chose books for a book order. Melany is going to come tomorrow for a little more weeding. I think her last weeding trip of the summer, as she starts back to school next week. Boy, the summer has passed by all too quickly. I still think that the school year should start after Labor Day...it has been many years since that happened. I have stitched a little today. I do have the next ornament underway...this one is for Joy. Speaking of Joy, I checked with Kathy a little while ago and Joy is pretty much the same...she is staying awake more, but her head is still hurting which keeps from doing things that she loves to do, for example playing the piano. She just keeps taking baby steps toward healing and we just have to keep on being patient with the process! Well, I think I have waited as long as I can...the smell of zucchini bread is drawing me back to the kitchen! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday…Again!

I will blog quickly tonight, as we have a storm coming through and it made a glitch in the power, which made the internet disconnect for a moment. It seems to be back on...guess I will know, if this posts or not! I want to give an update on Joy, since it has been since Saturday since I gave one. She seems to be more awake, when she is awake and has started doing a little crafting, though it does seem to hurt her head so she doesn't do it for very long. I think she is starting to take baby steps back. We just have to be patient...not easy to be...when we want her to be "our Joy!" I got up and went out to water plants this morning, since we are under a heat advisory. I think that whatever is blowing through has made taken a bit of a bite out of the extreme heat. When I went to prayer meeting a little before 6pm it felt very hot...but an hour later, when we were coming out of the building, the black clouds and the breeze had cooled it down. It looked like it was going to dump rain on us...but so far just a few sprinkles and a few rumbles of thunder. I was glad that I got back in the house befoe the storm came. Of course, now the storm may not even come...though the thunder is getting louder. I finished another Christmas ornament last night and started the next one this morning. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel...but still quite a few more to stitch...but, at least, not as many as I have already stitched! I will take a count one of these days. I think I figured out the other day that if I get as many stitched as I want to that it will be around 25! And, once they are stitched, I still have to make them into ornaments...but that process is shorter than the stitching part. I enjoy stitching...but am sort of ready to go back to stitching a sampler. I could stop and stitch on something else for a while, but I hate to leave the momentum that I have at the moment with the ornaments. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Zoom Saturday

I sort of had a slow start to the morning...but finally got going after I had breakfast. I made preparations to stew a chicken that I got at the store yesterday. It was finished cooking just before it was time for my bookclub zoom meeting. That was good timing as I was able to put it on a plate and tent it with foil so it could cool while I was zooming. We had a good discussion this morning. My Cottey roommate joined us this morning. It was great getting to see her. We texted a little with each other after the Zoom meeting. After the Zoom meeting, I got the chicken cut off the bone. Then I put all the bones back in the stock and simmered it for three hours more. The stock has cooled down enough to put it in the refrigerator to chill so I can defat it before I freeze it...that job is done for today...well, some of the dishes still remain. I have the stock pot soaking. While the stock simmered, I completed my notes for tomorrow's Sunday School lesson and have printed it off. I have a stack of things to take with me for the lesson tomorrow...so I think that the lesson can be "put to bed" until I share it in the morning. Once the dishwasher is running, I think that I will stitch. I veered away from stitching for the last couple of days so I had best get back to it...time is moving along till Christmas...and, if I don't get cracking, my plan to have all the ornaments stitched early this year so I won't be rushed making them into ornaments. Update on Joy, she continues to improve slowly. She actually did a craft project...wove some pot holders today...a good sign. Joy loves to do crafty things! Glad to see her doing something with her hands. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Summer Friday

Tonight's photo showed up on Facebook today. It was taken many years ago. I believe that one of my blog readers is very familiar with this photo...if not this one than another very much like it! Today has been a fairly busy day. I got up and finished up my grocery list and got ready to head to Kroger. It was "one of those days" when I had to get more than just food...which tends to run the total up a bit more. But even with adding those on it wasn't too bad considering the way costs have gone up and that I hadn't been in two weeks. Lately I have been to make the grocery trip be every other week. I have been trying to use things in my freezer and just getting things that I need to make recipes that sound good to me. I will admit that the heat has sort of pulled the rug out from things sounding great...nor the cooking part of those recipes! For some unknown reason, I decided today that I wanted some kind of fish...now, those who know me well, know that fi sh isn't high on my list of favorite foods. I decided that I would get some kind today...if...the big if...I didn't have to get very much. It seems like everything these days is packaged in multiples that I don't need. My freezer is fairly full so I don't have a lot of room to freeze extras (reason I am trying to use what is in there). Well, I found a package of two small perch filets and they were marked down...which I know means that "the date" is fast approaching on their packaging. Well, since I was going to eat it right away I took advantage of the lowered price and got a package. I had one of them for lunch and it did taste good...I am okay with fish as long as it doesn't have bones...when I was a child...all I can remember was Mother warning me about watchig out for bones...which didn't appeal to me! So I enjoyed a piece of fish, some pan fried potato slices and some fresh corn for lunch. A good meal in the middle of the day. I got that mess cleaned up quickly because another reason that I don't like to cook fish is the smell! I think I conquered the smell...of course, I may have just gotten used to it! If you come in right now, perhaps you could tell what I had for lunch! After all that and getting the groceries put away, I had a pretty bad pain in my shoulde, so I decided it was time to rest and even though it is summer that this rest time meant the heating pad. I tolerated the extra heat and managed to take a short nap, too. My shoulder does feel better, though when I tried to sit at the table to work on my Sunday School lesson it wasn't very comfortable so I moved to the couch, which is where I am now. I sat here and typed up more notes for the lesson on Sunday. I am nearing completion of what I am going to share. An update on Joy is that she has been quiet, sleeping a lot, but eating well today. All that sounds like healing activity to me. Tomorrow is my Cottey College Alum bookclub Zoom meeting. I always enjoy that time with friends who love to read like I do. I will be leading the discussion in October on the book, Paperboy, by Vince Vawter. I had good news today that the author will be able to join us for our zoom meeting in October. That will be the first time an author has joined us. I have a connection with his wife due to her being a former member of my church. She and Vince gifted out church library with a copy of this book back when it came out and have since given the other two in the trilogy. So I decided that I would ask the author's wife if she thought that he might be able to join us for our zoom meeting and he willingly agreed. I'm excited! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Visiting Thursday

I'm going to blog early today as I am going to be with Joy for a while this evening and I think that the sound of the keyboard might bother her. I plan to work on my Sunday School lesson while I am with Joy, but I can type with the keyboard on the screen when doing that, but that keyboard doesn't work well with blogging. I have had a pretty full day. Melany and Erin came here for lunch. After lunch, the three of us went to see Joy. We got several smiles out of her...a good thing. Melany did some weed eating after we got back from Joy's house. Erin and I visited in the living room while Melany worked...at least she didn't have to be out very long on this very warm day...we are at 90, again today. Melany and Erin left fairly soon after Melany cooled off from her time outside. I came in and put on my librarian hat, after they left and got notes off telling families about books that had been given in memory of their loved ones. Those are done and are in the mailbox awaiting the mail carrier. I just gathered up my Sunday School literature to take with me when I go see Joy for the 2nd time today. I will put on my substitute Sunday School teacher hat for a little while and maybe get the notes for the lesson on paper. I finished reading the Sunday School literature earlier this morning. Now to pull out what I will share with the class. This is the last night of Vacation Bible School at their church and Graham has to work tonight. Where she is with her concussion, the doctor recommended that she not be left alone for too long a time. I can say one thing...I know that it will be very quiet while I prepare the lesson! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Hot Mid-July Day

I think that the heat has gotten to me. I felt really lazy today. It's cool in the house, but somehow my body knew how hot it was outside. I did make two trips to the compost pile this afternoon and checked to see what the temperature was and it was 91°. Earlier in the day I did water, knowing how hot it was going to get today. The tomato plants in containers dry out pretty quickly in hot weather. This afternoon I spent some time cleaning out my refrigerator before I go to the grocery store on Friday. Tomorrow Melany and Erin are going to come spend some time here. I have been working on the Sunday School lesson, as I am going to be teaching on Sunday. Here is my "Joy update:" a special person from my church paid Joy and her a family a visit to pray with them and visit for a bit. He gets the prize for the day for getting Joy to smile. He teased with her that she was just trying to get out of chores...and...she smiled! Joy continues to rest for most of the day...resting her brain and slowly getting better. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Funny Find & Got Paid!

I got the other half of the draweer cleaned out today. Tonight's photo shows the thing that made me laugh...why a Double Bubble wrapper in the drawer?!? And, I did get paid a penny from this side of the drawer. I did find other coins on the other half...but not much...just a couple more pennies and a few Canadian coins and some tokens for a car wash. I was sorting through things when Nathan and Kathy dropped by to bring me some zucchinis. I got them in on the decision making of what to throw and what to keep. Nathan did go off with a small load of nuts and bolts and a hinge and some lightswitch covers. I did send home a card game called Risk so the kids could try it out. I got online and printed out how to play the game and sent those along with the cards. Going back to zucchini...they are part of my Joy update today. Nathan came in the house with his arms loaded with a LOT of zucchini...he estimated about 50 lbs. Joy saw him with all the zucchini and he said he guessed he should have picked them sooner. Joy sort of laughed and said, "Yes!" The fact she said "yes" is an improvement...since her accident she mainly nods her answers. The other positive Joy story is that Esther had asked her mom what she could do to help Joy and Kathy said that Esther could take Joys clothes from the dryer and put them away. Esther knew that under normal conditions that Joy would not like her to do that...that Joy always wants to put her own clothes away. Well, Esther had something else to do before she got to doing that and Kathy was doing something else. When they came back, they found that the laundry was gone. Joy was still sitting on the couch so Kathy went to check and found that Joys clothes were put away and that the empty laundry basket was back in Esther and Joy's closet...where it belongs. Joy had done it and gone back to sit on the couch! So major progress, in our eyes! Praising God for each small sign of her return to being our Joy! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Mindful Monday

Today has been one where I did a little of this and a little of that...while I waited to find out how Joy's appointment with a neurologist went in Nashville. Not a lot new was learned. The doctor said that Joy not talking was probably her way of dealing with the pain. They were told that the first three weeks after a concussion were the worst and that it could take up to six months for her to recover. So the waiting "game" continues. That was the first time that they had heard that the first three weeks are the worst...so Joy is half way through that time period. I think that the six months were a little longer than anyone had said before. We just have to be patient and wait for our sweet Joy to emerge! I mentioned the other day that I was tackling one of the drawers that Woody put "every thing" in...so there are paper clips, shoe laces, picture hanging paraphanalia, I even found a receipt from 1999 for tires he had bought. Now, this is the second or third time for me to go through this drawer. I had already gone in and pulled out all the broken pairs of readers that he had put in there. We bought the dresser when we lived in California...so 51+ years of accumulation! It is a divided drawer and today I finally got everything out of one half of the drawer. Some of the things went in easily into the wastebasket...but others I have to maake decisions about...as this is the drawer that I go to when I need certain things...so decision has to be made as to just what exactly do I want to leave in that I might need! I did ask Melany about some of the things that he had for when they were collecting butterflies...those I have put in a container for Melany to check out and bring back memories with...but hoping that she doesn't feel the need of keeping...as she doesn't need to add to all that she has collected over the years she has been married. She doesn't need to take on our stuff...but, then, she is sentimental! I probably shouldn't have mentioned them to her...just let them disappear!?! I did find a neat little light in the drawer...looked like it had never been used. I will be getting batteries to see if it could be useful. I vacuumed from the bottom of the drawer small circles of paper from the paper punch...found the paper punch, too. This drawer is a mirade of treasures! Of course, now all these are on my sewing table...that I cleared off a while back hoping to get back to using it for sewing...well, it will have to be cleared off ONCE AGAIN! I have been to prayer meeting and am now back all ready to settle in for the evening. Working steadily on the latest Christmas ornament...hoping to get a little farther on this one this evening. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

A Good Day…But A Little Sad, Too

I always say that my haircut day is always a "good day!" And, today was my haircut day...but it was a little sad because Joy couldn't cut my hair this time due to her concussion. But I was really glad that my former "haircutter" is now feeling well enough and able to work me in for a hair cut! It was good to see Jody, again...it had been a while. Nathan and Kathy and some of the kids stopped by today so they could pick blueberries (oops! Melany and I may have picked the lower part of the bushes too clean yesterday!). Joy stayed inside with me while they went out to pick. They didn't last too long outside as a rain shower blew in. We visited for a little bit. I felt like Joy has improved a little since I saw her earlier in the week. She opened a care package that Cheryl had sent her and checked out what was inside and then put the things back in and closed the box back up. Walking seemed easier today than it was when I saw her last. She's still not communicating a whole lot...but I see just a little more glimmer of our sweet Joy. The day after tomorrow is when she sees a specialist in Nashville. We are all waiting to find out what the doctor has to say. A little after they left, I headed off to get my hair cut. So that was my good day = hair cut with Jody and got to see my Joy, too. I told Joy that this month Jody was doing my hair and, that hopefully next month Joy would be back to feeling like it! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday

Tonight's photo makes me think of my father. He loved to take pictures of dead trees. Melany came, again, this morning...another weeding day. She pretty much has a handle on the gardens that we are going to do this year. I have one large flower garden between my house and the house where Nathan and Kathy used to live. We have always called it the "shared garden," as ever since we moved here we have shared it with the neighbors that lilve in that house. The garden straddles the property line. It is mainly in our yard. This year, we have decided to let it sort of go wild. We did that another year and it was fine. We'll tackle that one another year. Melany and I had a nice visit. Just as she was finished with what she was going to do today, and was coming up to the porch to sit, Ruth stopped by and the three of us visited for a little while. We didn't get anything more than a sprinkle, but there was rain somewhere in the vicinity, as it definitely cooled off and there was a pleasant breeze for porch sitting! Before Melany went home, we did some more blueberry picking...still lots out there and more to ripen! Melany got home safely. I am running a bit late tonight as I called Cheryl to ask her something and, of course, we talkled longer than we probably needed to! We probably got around to hanging up a couple of times, but one of us would think of something else to discuss of "utmost importance!" Our calls are often, as if we rarely talked...which, of course, if far from the truth, as we talk quite frequently! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Joy is still not doing well. Sleeping most of the day away...hoping that this is healing sleep! We are counting the hours till she can be seen by a specialist!

A Quiet Thursday

I say quiet...but then when I think about it, I have visited with several folk...both on the phone and Nathan stopped by for a few minutes this morning. I did a little vacuuming both downstairs and upstairs. The funny thing that I cleaned today was my new vacuum cleaner...I purchased filters for the vacuum...one of my Prime Days "bargains." The filters that are in the vacuum need to be cleaned every so often and the way you clean them is washing them and they they can't be put back in the vacuum cleaner till they are totally dry. Around here, it takes things a while to dry sometimes so I decided that it would be good to have an extra filter so I had one to put back in when I washed one. So I did that today since I had the new ones. Joy is still not "back to herself," I'm sorry to say...patience is the name of the game. We will all be glad once she has been seen by a specialist in Nashville. Kathy did say that perhaps she isn't in as much pain as she has taken less of her pain meds today...hopefully that is a positive sign. Going back to my Prime Days bargains...the only things that I purchased were things that I was planning to buy last week and decided to wait till Prime Days to see if by any chance any of them were marked down...and three of the four items were. So I just bought what I was going to get anyway...just saved a little due to Amazon Prime Days. I have alternated between a little cleaning and cross stitching. I did finish another ornament yesterday and started another one so I have stitched on the new one today. We did have a short period of rain this afternoon. After it stopped raining, I went out with my Grandpa's Weeder and pulled a few more weeds...it does work...works better on certain kinds...likes weeds like dandelions better than 'skinny" weeds...needs some heft to grab on to...at least that is what I found out with my short effort this afternoon. The mosquitos drove me back inside...they were quite interested in checking me out...their interest was not welcomed by me! Melany is coming in the morning to complete what weeding she plans to do for me this summer...her summer is waning all too quickly! Less than a month left of her summer vacation. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Big Box!

This afternoon Alexa informed me that I had a package on the front porch. i was surprised at the size of the box...you can see in front of the box what was in it...box solely for the length of the item...surely Amazon had a closer fit...but it got here and now I have a large box to knock down and recycle next week! I have been considering getting this "Grandpa's Weeder/" I have been thinking about getting this for a while...anything to keep me upright when weeding! Thanks to lessons I had with the children about simple machines, I understand this simple mechanism and why it works...a lever...simple...but effective! I had been looking at these dandelions for a while and kept thinking about this tool that I was being tempted with on Amazon! I had moved the tool into my cart last week when Melany was here, but ended up holding off on purchasing until I saw if it would happen to be a prime days "deal" on Amazon. I checked on Monday and it was one of the deals so I decided to get it. I am glad to say that it was as easy as it was touted to be. Now we'll see if I can keep up with the weeds now that Melany has attacked them to the point she has. I showed her that I had gotten the tool and told her that it works and that she can try it out when she comes on Friday! I told her that was a "Tom Sawyer" invite...making it sound like fun and then others will want to do it...the way Tom Sawyer got the fence paintedd! I spent a little time wirh Joy this morning, while her mom and siblings were doing a back yard Bible Club in Shelbyville. Joy continues to stay very quiet...letting her brain heal! The good news is that Kathy was able to get an earlier appointment so they are now going early next week. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tuesday

Tonight's photo is a continuation of Elijah's 16th birthday celebration. Last night, not long after I published the blog, I got a text message from Elijah wanting to know if I was atill up and okay with having a visitor stop by. I told him, "Sure!" And, a little later he was at my door with a big grin and his license in hand! I had thought earlier that this was the first time that one of them got their license that I hadn't seen them on the day they got it...and there he was! He is a happy camper. He was able to driive himself to baseball tryouts yesterday...no more needing a parent or a sibline to take him and pick him up. About the baseball tryouts...he didn't have to try out, because he has already maade the team, but team members were supposed to be there for the tryouts. Anyway, he was happy for more independence! I reminded him to use this new privelege wisely! I guess that tonight's blog mainly has information about grandchildren as I haven't done a lot today...but have accomplshed more stitching...zooming right along on the ornament I started yesterday with a finish in sight...probably not tonight, but maybe tomorrow. Now more information about another grandchild, Joy...After her coliding heads with another youth while inner tubing on July 3, Joy is still dazed. She saw her doctor today and the doctor feels like Joy needs to see a neurology/concussion specialist at Vanderbilt in Nashville. Kathy spent a good part of her afternoon, after getting home from the doctor, working on getting an appointment. She was successful and has one in two weeks...which we all wish was sooner. But, really, knowing how long it often takes to see someone at Vanderbilt, Nashville, a two-week-away appointment is pretty good! They have her on a list to go sooner if a cancelation occurs. From what I am reading from texts from Kathy and Nathan, it doesn't sound like she has done much improving. She is still v e r y s l o w moving in everything she does...from walking to her respnses. We all want her to wake up and be all better, but this is a case of us having to be patient and let God's timing for the healing process take place. Everything that I have read says that it takes time and she just needs to take it easy...do nothing that is physically or mentally straining. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy 16th Birthday, Elijah!

Today is Elijah's 16th birthday...a big day for him...he got his driver's license this morning! We celebrated his birthday yesterday afternoon. He opened presents, had cake and ice cream, and then headed off with Joseph and Esther and her boyfriend, Patrick. I think all in all that today and yesterday combined made for a pretty good birthday for him! Joy is still not back to herself. I was glad to get to spend a little time with her yesterday. I did see a couple of little smiles from her that told me that our Joy is still Joy! But she continues to come back from her concussion rather slowly. She has been told to rest and not use her brain for anything strenuous. Today, Kathy said that Joy attempted to listen to a book to help pass the time, but listening hurt her head too much. She goes to see her doctor tomorrow for a follow up. I asked her if she was having fun prior to bumping heads with a fellow inner tuber...her answer was "yes." Her mother asked her if she wanted to go tubing again...and, again, her answer was "yes!" I guess at the moment patience is the name of the game! I have just come home from prayer meeting. I am a bit later blogging because I decided that I had better water the plants that are in containers...they were looking a little pitiful and rather thirsty after our hot day today. We did get a little rain this evening, but not enough to perk them up...so I helped a little. I did finish another Christmas ornament this morning and started another one...I've got to keep going if I am going to get all the ornaments stitched that I want to stitch! Tiime is marching on...now less than six months till Christmas...my time does fly these days. I decided to iron the few things that needed to be ironed. I don't do a lot of ironing these days, but I do have a few things that need a little pressing before being worn. I got those ironed and hung up...so my wash is really put away now! I think that most of what I ironed today was not from my last wash day...I sort of let ironing go until either I need to wear it or I have several pieces to make it worth heating up the iron! I use my iron more when I am sewing than just for ordinary ironing. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Saturday Doings

Tonight's photo was a surprise...these two goats sought dryer ground on the front porch of this house. We didn't see the second one at first...then caught him looking through the overgrowth...framing his head. Today I have done a little of this and a little of that. I did a little rearranging in my pantry to find places for a couple of things that I bought yesterday. I did a few other things in the kitchen and continued to get all the ingredients ready to put together the Tortilla Pie with chicken...I grated the cheese early in the day...refrigerated it along with the other ingredients that I prepared over the last couple of days. Then about an hour before I wanted to eat supper, I layererd the ingredients according to the recipe, baked it, let it cool some, and then enjoyed it for supper. A good recipe...one of Martha Stewart's. My other main accomplishment of the day was wash and dry three loads of clothes...and get them put away. I have read a little and continiued at intervals to put in a few stitches. I am edging on to another finish for my latest Christmas ornament. I think that there is a possibility that I will finish it tonight...but the way I doze off at times when I don't plan to, I won't be surprised if I don't accomplish a finish! I checked on Joy a couple of times today. She still isn't herself...

Happy 4th of July!

I've had a pretty quiet day. I did get up and head off to the grocery store fairly early this morning. I didn't need a lot, but needed a couple of ingredients for some recipes that I'm planning to make. After I got home and got the groceries into the house and put away, I continued with the preparations for making Tortilla Pie with Chicken...yesterday I made the green salsa for it and today, I cooked some chicken thighs for it and shredded the meat. Maybe tomorrow I will make the recipe! I made some chickeen broth with the thigh bones and some celery, onion, garlic and a carrot. That simmered on the stove for a while this afternoon. The broth is now strained and in the refrigerator chilling. I have to unload the dishwasher so I can load it up with the dishes I have dirtied with my cooking ventures today. I got a call from Nathan earlier telling me that they had taken Joy to the ER at our local hospital. She bumped heads with another youth at camp yesterday while innertubing and has a mild concussion and a possible contusion. They have released her to go home...just got the word from Kathy. The little flag pillow was another accomplishment for the day. I had stitched the flag a while back and had never made it into a small pillow (known as a "small" in cross stitch terms) until today. I decided that that was a good project for July 4th! I have done some reading today...started a new book...and, I have worked on my latest Christmas ornament. So a good holiday...except for the news about our sweet Joy. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Green Salsa Day

Yesterday Melany brought me a whole lot of green tomatillos from their garden. So today I made green salsa. I have frozen some and some I am going to use in a Chicken Tortilla Pie recipe and some I will have as a treat with some tortilla chips. It was a two pan broiler recipe...a baking sheet covered with tomatillos twice and oone of the times with jalapeños, onions, and garlic. Once all those cooled down a bit, I used the food processor to get them all chopped and mixed together. And, that was it...but it took me a while plus left me with a bit of a mess. I hadn't used my food processor in some time, but have used it every day for the last three days. We had a no-rain day...haven't had many of those lately. That is supposed to be the trend for the next several days...so I guess I will be getting the hoses out to water. Some of the gardens will be fine with no watering for a couple of days, but the tomatoes in the containers will need the water pretty quickly...they dry out pretty fast. I finished another book a bit earlier. And, stitched in the morning and plan to stitch more this evening. I am underway with my next Christmas ornament. Stitch! Stitch! Stitch! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Another Weeding Day

Melany came again today and did more weeding. She finished the long garden along the driveway and got the little mailbox garden all but finished. We picked blueberries before she left. Wade made blueberry jam with last week's picking. I am very late tonight with blog...my internet was out. I sat down in my chair to get comfy to read...but...fell asleep and just woke a little while ago. And, the internet is now back on. Spectrum told me that it was out before I fell asleep...before 7pm and they told me around 10pm that it was back on. I was oblivious of it coming back on...i didnt wake up till 11:10pm! Now that I have had a really good start on a night's sleep, it may be a while till I can fall asleep again! To be continied! Be safe! Be well! Be caitious!

Welcome, July!

And, another page on the calendar...turned! I found myself at the middle of my calendar...six months behind us and six months to anticipate. I have done a few cleaning tasks today. At the moment am waiting on a load of wash to dry. I have stitched some today. I made a goal that I would finish another ornament today and I did. So now to choose the next one to begin. The hibiscus in the photo decided to bloom today and welcome July in with some vibrant color in the garden. Melany is coming tomorrow to do some more weeding for her mommy! I finished a book yesterday and am already in the midst of another. There's always something to do around here...no way could I ever be bored!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!